You may want to comfort a friend or loved one who’s struggling with cancer, but you’re not sure what exactly to say. Lori Hope, author of Help Me Live: 20 Things People with Cancer Want You to Know, offers several suggestions: ▪ Say “I’d like to ask how you’re doing, but I don’t want to bring it up if you don’t want to talk about it. What would you prefer?” ▪ Ask, “How’s it going?” not “How are you feeling?” … Read more

Most teenagers ask for cash on their 16th birthday, and high-school junior Kara Magoolaghan from White Plains, New York, was no different. Only instead of keeping this money for herself, she asked that it be donated to the Charity Ghana ACT (Alliance for Community Transformation), which was founded by her mother’s friend John Barber. Magoolaghan learned from Barber that his group was raising money to construct a school in Ho, Ghana. She was happy to aid this worthy cause, and… Read more

Swimmer Katie Ledecky, 15, was the youngest member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team in London. A well-liked and humble student at Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bethesda, Maryland, she told The Catholic Standard newspaper that she prays before each race, and goes to Mass every week because it helps her “reflect and connect with God.” On August 3, Ledecky swam a challenging 800-meter race. Nobody, including NBC announcers Rowdy Gaines and Dan Hicks, expected the first-time… Read more

On August 16, 2008, a small private plane carrying popular “mommy blogger” Stephanie Nielson and her husband, Christian, crashed in Arizona, exploding on impact. Though Christian was injured and burned, Stephanie bore the brunt of the explosion with burns over 80 percent of her body. Near death, she remained in a medically-induced coma for 10 weeks. Despite Stephanie’s grueling recovery and lingering scars, she maintained her positive attitude. She chronicled her journey of healing on her blog, called The Nie… Read more

Two of Jesus’ followers were traveling to Emmaus on the first Easter, when the risen Lord approached them and joined them in their journey. Unrecognized, He discussed the events of the last few days with them, explaining why it was necessary for the Christ to die and so enter into His glory. When they reached the village, the two invited Jesus to stay with them, which He did. St. Luke explains how He broke bread and gave it to them—and… Read more

Following the movie theatre massacre that occurred in Aurora, Colorado, on July 20, 2012, Denver-based preacher Nadia Bolz Weber considered canceling her weekly Friday night “Beer and Hymns” gathering. In the end, she held it anyway. Weber wrote on her blog, “We sang our prayer to God, and in our singing I heard a defiant tone. The sound of a people who simply will not believe that violence wins, a people who know that the sound of the risen Christ… Read more

Jesus is dead. He lies in the tomb. He died that you might live, proving His love for you to the last drop of His blood. His request to you is to continue what He began. He died for all. He wishes to continue to live here in the souls of men and to carry on His work through your cooperation. In His first appearance to His disciples after the Resurrection, Christ gave His followers the sublime and thrilling mission… Read more

There was only one thing that could get Rick Van Beek of Midland, Michigan, to finally quit smoking and get in shape: his daughter, Maddy, who is unable to walk or talk due to cerebral palsy. Van Beek isn’t even sure that Maddy can see, yet he’s ensured that the now 13-year-old is living an active life. Van Beek told the Midland Daily News that the one thing he knows Maddy enjoys is being outdoors. Since 2008, father and daughter… Read more

Father Francis Ford, one of the first four Maryknoll missionaries in China, traveled there, eager to share his faith but also cognizant of the challenges ahead. His first prayer on arriving in China was, “Lord, make us the doorstep by which the multitudes may come to worship Thee.” Ordained a bishop in 1935, he worked for years starting schools and churches, helping people in need and training the native clergy. George Weigel, telling Bishop Ford’s story for the Ethics and… Read more

Katie Davis believes that Jesus “wrecked” her life. In her eyes, however, that’s a good thing. A few years ago, the Tennessee teen served as class president at her high school, enjoyed shopping for shoes, and planned to attend college. But Davis had grown up admiring Mother Teresa and the love with which she served the poor. On her 16th birthday, Davis told her parents that she wanted to spend a year doing mission work before going to college. They reluctantly agreed… Read more